Iranian Judge Stresses Fairness in Return to Malaysia’s Int’l Quran Competition
For the first time in almost 20 years, Iran will have a representative on the panel of arbiters of Malaysia’s International Quran Recital and Memorization Assembly (MTHQA), with seasoned Quran teacher Gholam Reza Shahmiveh invited to judge the 65th edition of the contest, set to take place in Kuala Lumpur from August 2 to 9.
“Despite Iran’s prominent position in the Quranic landscape of the Muslim world, our judges have been absent from this important international event for many years,” Shahmiveh told IQNA. “The key now is to ensure this seat is preserved in the future.”
Speaking about his judging approach, he stressed fairness above all. “I’ve always evaluated reciters based solely on their performance in that specific competition, regardless of any prior familiarity. With such an approach, those who are most deserving—regardless of nationality—receive proper recognition,” he said.
Shahmiveh noted that Malaysian contests do not reveal the participant’s identity during recitation, which helps maintain objectivity.
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He also highlighted technical differences in regulations. “In Malaysia, reciters must perform four maqams within a set timeframe, so they must manage both time and sequence carefully.”
The 2025 edition will feature 72 participants from 50 countries. Iran will also be represented by qari Mohsen Qassemi in the recitation category.
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